Christian Bauer took over as Head of Interior Design MINI in June
2017. In his answers to a following 10 questions, he explains what
it is that creates interior design, in particular, an immensely
severe job, given automotive pattern is on a verge of maybe one
of a biggest ever model shifts and what purpose MINI will play in
this process.

1. Why did we turn a automobile designer?The pursuit is both a goal for me and a
extensive privilege, given as designers we have a event to
make a universe a some-more pleasing place. Even as a child, there were two
things that we loved: cars and drawing. we had a outrageous collection of
Matchbox cars. we also had a good happening to be constantly surrounded
by genuine vehicles, too, as my father spent a good bargain of time
“tinkering” with several models. And I’ve always unequivocally enjoyed
sketch as well. So, mixing a dual passions and creation a career of
them seemed like a judicious thing to do, and a event to study
Transportation Design during a University of Applied Sciences in
Pforzheim supposing a ideal stepping mill into a profession.

2. What arrange of things constraint your imagination?Development, a destiny – fundamentally I’m
preoccupied by anything that’s new. we can’t bear a suspicion of things
only station still, and zero good comes of it in a prolonged term, in
my view. Advancement is partial of tellurian nature, and it’s something we
all rivet with from a really immature age; my possess children uncover me time
and again what a fun it is. Their pleasure in achieving or
bargain something for a initial time is communicated plainly and
directly. The pleasure taken in one’s possess certain expansion is a
source of both proclivity and mindfulness for me: I, too, constantly
plea myself in sequence to keep surpassing and formulating new things.

3. What inspires you?I pull impulse from a surprising and the
unseen. Every time someone successfully takes a new approach, we am
reminded that we infrequently hang too closely to a familiar. New
approaches mostly set new standards too. So, it’s value violation new
ground, even if it means topping many obstacles and display real
courage. we am desirous by achievements in all sorts of disciplines –
from architecture, to biology and physics, to design, of course. A
good bargain of interdisciplinary work is being carried out during present,
that can have a good temperament on design. For instance, we have
biologists operative together with engineers on intelligent materials.
In future, it could be probable for surfaces such as leather, fabric
or timber to promulgate regulating light, sound or movement, for example.
Functions and components will combine into one, opening adult wholly new
possibilities in a process.

4. What do we consider of as good design?For me, good pattern is always a thoughtfulness of
a zeitgeist during a time, while also relating intensely closely to
a chairman a product is geared towards. The approach we see things – and,
as a consequence, prevalent tastes – change over time. The dominant
component in pattern today, for example, is clarity given a universe we
live in has turn rarely formidable and we’re overloaded with input.
That doesn’t indispensably meant that good pattern always has to mirror
contemporary preferences, however: there is also such a thing as
undying design. All in all, good pattern contingency offer combined value in my
opinion – both functionally and emotionally.

5. What do we like many about your work as a car
designer?For me, pattern means distant some-more than only the
aesthetics of form; we see it as something carried out for and with
people. This means that pattern always generates combined value that
satisfies during slightest one requirement of people or business – even if it
is “just” their clarity of wellbeing. In other words, pattern helps to
make life better. Playing an active purpose in that is something we am
really unapproachable of.I also adore a aspect of foresightedness, i.e.
fathoming out a needs that people will rise in destiny and how we
can best residence them. This idealist purpose allows pattern to act as the
pulling force behind technological innovations and even inspire
developers. That’s one of a many sparkling and enthralling tools of
my job.

6. When it comes to automobile design, people tend to consider initial of
a extraneous design, rather than a interior. Why is
that?The extraneous forms a initial touchpoint with a
vehicle. It’s a initial thing we see and it generates direct
emotions. The exterior’s styling confers certain attributes on the
vehicle, such as power, speed or agility, that supplement adult to give it a
particular character. And it is not odd for a product to make
a matter by clearly conveying a standing and impression of its
driver. The extraneous pattern is intensely important. But what keeps the
patron bending in over a prolonged run – as many studies have confirmed
– is a interior.

7. What is so special about interior design?The
genuine poison exam as distant as a patron is endangered comes when they
indeed get inside a automobile – and removing this right is a distant tougher
task. If we don’t feel during palliate in a vehicle, can’t get to grips
with a controls, don’t like a materials or consider a build quality
is abysmal, afterwards you’re rarely doubtful to buy another automobile from the
same brand. An interior engineer has to be skilful during a horde of
opposite disciplines. You need to know a basis of ergonomics,
tellurian behaviour, acoustics, control logic, and distant some-more besides. The
chairman contingency not feel limited in their transformation in any way, though at
a same time they contingency be guided and harnessed. They contingency not be
dazzled by anything and nonetheless all contingency be clearly identifiable.
And all of that not only in a singular specific conditions though throughout
a whole spectrum of opposite transformation scenarios and use cases –
from configuring a automobile on a smartphone, to removing in and a actual
driving, to removing out again. And, of course, it contingency all be easy and
discerning to use. Then comes a topping on a cake: a styling of the
surfaces, a awake coming of a parts, a altogether outcome of
a interior. It should also be forked out that we work within a
flattering parsimonious set of technical constraints, such as rigidity, crash
characteristics, sound insulation, wiring harnesses and element wall
thicknesses. These constraints have to be manipulated in such a way
that there is some-more room and leisure for a tangible assign of design. And
rest positive that there will always be something in a way. Sculpting
a line or a aspect clean adequate so that it doesn’t only demeanour like
covering for a technical constraints is utterly a plea in itself.
The art of interior pattern resides in banishment a emotions and creating
a feel-good factor, while operative within all these formidable parameters.
The feeling when a Board of Management signs off a production-car
interior with a extended grin on their faces is wondrous and a real
prerogative for all a bid involved.

8. What do we see as being a pivotal issues of a destiny for
MINI and what purpose will interior pattern have to
play?There is a good bargain of shake in the
automotive universe during present. We are seeking to emanate a essential and
emotionally enchanting product charity for smaller models in the
reward shred opposite a rarely formidable backdrop of digitalisation,
unconstrained pulling and, of course, electric mobility. At MINI we want
to be an active actor in pulling forward this transition to a new
world, as it were. In a march of this evolution, interior pattern is
set to play an positively essential role. Enjoying a pleasant,
stretchable sourroundings for a expostulate from A to B is apropos some-more and
some-more important. Autonomous pulling will renovate automobile interiors.
For many people, their automobile will turn a second vital space after
their homes. We will substantially continue to spend a good bargain of time
in a cars in destiny – maybe even some-more than we do today. But we
will increasingly be means to do other things there as well. Read,
sleep, buy things online or play with a kids; a possibilities seem
endless. Vehicle interiors contingency therefore take new forms of use into
account. And we as interior designers have a ability to create
totally new worlds and practice and take peculiarity of life to a
whole new level. This is where we design to see maybe a biggest
model change in automobile manufacture.

9. How will that demeanour during MINI exactly?MINI is
all about maximising a knowledge within a smallest possible
footprint. The technical mandate of electric mobility meant that
designation spaces and partitioning have to be rethought. This opens
adult extensive intensity for MINI. Interaction with vehicles will
assume an increasingly critical role, as well. In future, customers
will still be means to find their approach around a MINI now and
quite by intuition. MINI will uncover that communication does not have to
be boring, demeanour overly technical or be difficult to use. What is
critical is that, in future, anyone who gets into a MINI will still
feel totally during ease. And ideally, they won’t wish to get out again either.

10. What would a ideal interior of a destiny demeanour like
for you?I consider – and, indeed, wish – there is no
such thing as “the” ideal interior, differently we would be out of a
job! In a future, there will positively be a distant aloft grade of
coherence and alloy between all a areas involved, such as
materials, displays, movement, sound, aroma and control. I’m excited
about what lies ahead, and wish designers and engineers comparison will get
a leisure they need to move about something totally new.

Thank we really much!

CV:

Christian Bauer has been Head of Interior Design at
MINI given Jun 2017. Before switching to MINI, a 43-year-old was in
assign of Interior and Detail Design during BMW i. Prior to that, he
worked as both group manager and behaving ubiquitous manager in BMW Interior
Design and Detailing.